Classroom Experiences, Higher Education

Classroom experiences have a major impact on trans students’ academic and social well-being. A positive classroom environment is one in which students feel a sense of belonging, trust each other, and feel encouraged to take on challenges or take risks to ask questions. For trans students, a welcoming classroom experience is particularly important for them to feel safe, respected, and supported. Trans students are more likely to flourish and express themselves freely when they experience a classroom that explicitly uplifts them with emotional support, relevant content that demonstrates empathy, clear learning objectives with specific feedback, and opportunities to develop social skills and strategies to help them succeed. In fact, when trans students have affirming classroom experiences, they are more likely to pursue high-impact educational practices, ...